Naomi From "The Real World Las Vegas" Speaks Out!

If you’ve been keeping up with MTV’s hit reality show, “The Real World” then you’re familiar with the recent “Back To Las Vegas” season which was full of drama, hook-ups, back stabbing, lies and of course partying. The Las Vegas cast seemed to win over the hearts of America as they were the highest rated “Real World” cast to date. Now one of the cast members, Naomi, is getting ready for the premiere of the new “Real World” challenge, “Battle of the Exes,” which features a few of her cast mates including her on again off again boo/hook-up buddy, Leroy.

If you watched the season, then you know just what it means when you put Naomi and Leroy in a room together for more than 5 minutes! I recently had the chance to chat with Naomi about her experience with MTV. Check out my exclusive interview with her as she dishes on her experience living with seven strangers, having cameras follow her every move, dealing with the whole STD drama with Leroy on camera and her experience on the upcoming “Battle of the Exes” challenge!

HelloBeautiful: How has your life changed since you appeared on MTV’s “Real World Las Vegas”?
Naomi: It’s definitely changed. For one thing, I never stick to the same look. I get bored having the same look. I’ve colored my hair and now I have a very short hair cut. I renovate my look often and people still notice me and ask me questions about the show. I’ve met a lot of people in the business and in the MTV family. I’ve been able to party with people from “Jersey Shore”. Our show was even nominated for a “Teen Choice Award” against The Kardashians and “Jersey Shore” which is really big. Our “Real World” season brought it back on the map as we were the highest rated “Real World” ever. This is insane even though “Jersey Shore” won, it was just amazing to be nominated. I’ve gotten into cool projects, reality shows and photo shoots. I even want to enroll in acting classes in NYC so I have gained a lot.

HB: Did you want to be an actress before the “Real World”?
Naomi: Ever since I was 11 I wanted to be an actress. I was offered a scholarship to go acting school but my dad didn’t want to pay so I let the idea go until I became an adult, but being on reality TV, I figured this could be an opportunity to do other things. The only thing is that being on reality tv they don’t take you as serious so I would definitely have to take a lot of classes to get on my feet.

HB: Why did you decide to go on the “Real World” in the first place?
Naomi: I was in college at the time I went to school upstate and my sorority sent me an email about the casting. They said I’m crazy and have such a good personality that I’ll get picked right away so I figured I had nothing to lose. I didn’t expect anything out of it. I was pretty casual and I showed up late. I just wore jeans, curly hair all out. Other people had on fur coats and dresses and stuff, I was the complete opposite. The way it works is that you have a group interview and the casting director asks you a question about yourself and then from there he’ll build on more questions. At the end of the interview, the casting director asks everyone who would they like to get to know more out of the entire group. Everybody liked me out of the group, wanted to get to know me and wanted to have me as a friend. Then, he chose me to fill out an 80-page application to move on to the next step and I kept moving on. There was 5 or 6 other steps in the process before I finally was chosen to move into the house.

HB: How was your experience in the house? Do you have any regrets?
Naomi: We were all so multi-dimensional so I want to say that none of us did anything to misinterpret. The way we were on TV was the way we were in real life. The problem with other people is that they get on reality TV and they’re excited so they try to edit themselves. We were all ourselves; we were completely the same person that we are. I don’t think we were seen in anyway that we weren’t. I met 7 new people I never knew before. Its lead me to other opportunities so I don’t regret any of it.

HB: How was it dealing with and hooking up with Leroy?
Naomi: Our whole relationship was playful. We didn’t want to get in each other’s way when were having a good time. We’re both playful and immature and this situation with the STD made us want to be more mature. When it comes to dealing with feelings we both become introverted. So I had to grow up because it was my health I was dealing with. I was the one going through the situation. I had to own up to my mistake, which was having sex with him, unprotected, and then having to go to the doctor. You have cameras following you and it’s nothing you can do about it. It’s no such thing as privacy. You’re living in a bubble so it’s like you’re dealing with just your roommates but when the show airs you’re dealing with everybody’s reaction. People are so quick to judge people off a reality show when they know that that happens everyday but because it’s on TV people feel the need to judge you more. You live and you learn. I don’t regret it. It helped other people realize the importance of protecting yourself.

HB: Do you ever get any type of privacy?
Naomi: No, the only time they don’t follow you is when you’re taking a crap but you get used to it. You’ll have a personal relationship with the cameraman, it is what it is. They’re there you’re there but you’re not communicating. We got used to the fact that we were being watched by day number two.

HB: How did you get hooked up with Battle Of The Exes?
There’s always a challenge that follows a “Real World” and each challenge has a theme. This one is battle of the exes and you don’t know what’s going on until you get there. You don’t know who was picked. We were in the Dominican Republic and imagine getting the news you’re being hooked up with your ex. After the show we were trying to figure out if we were going to pursue each other on a more serious note. But unfortunately it didn’t work out. But the wounds were still fresh to me because I obviously cared about him a lot so it was something I was still dealing with. When I went to the Dominican Republic, I was still dealing with not being with him. How can I be paired up with him and live with him and I still have feelings? He’s the kind of guy that’s never settles down and he’s never had a real relationship so for me its kind of like I’m in it alone. Everything else will be shown on TV. It was a very different experience from Real World.

HB: Which do you like better? Real World or The Challenge?Naomi: I like the “Real World” better. I like to party and have a good time and I like to meet different people. You build better relationships on the “Real World”. The “Challenge” is so competitive and everyone is backstabbing and for themselves. I hate those situations. I don’t want to be the kind of person that has to be on their toes all the time because something is constantly changing. I did like “The Challenge” though but I just like the “Real World” better.

HB: How is the relationship between you and Leroy now?
Naomi: Leroy and I are friends, nothing more and nothing less. If we see each other, I’m sure we would hook up. I think we see each other in a different light.

HB: Any new projects?
Naomi: Well, I have a photo shoot coming up. I’m on the cover of Ellements magazine for the January issue (ellementsmag.com). I’m having my 24th birthday at TAJ In NYC sponsored by Isreal at Alist Entertainment. Follow me @NaomiMTV